2019 Program

Conference Overview

TechAccessOK brings in experts from around the state and country to share their knowledge and expertise with Oklahoma’s accessibility community. We will have the full schedule set soon! Both days will begin with check-in at 8 or 8:30 with sessions starting at 9. We will wrap up around 4 both days.

Thursday, June 6 - Deep Dive Sessions

Join us for 2, half-day sessions that get into more detail about the session topics.

Friday, June 7 - Main Conference Sessions

Join us for 1-2 hour sessions that focus on specific topics and concepts of web and technology accessibility. We will run sessions 2 at a time this year to give you an option in each time slot.

Schedule Overview

Thursday, June 6 - Deep Dive Sessions

Understanding and Evaluating Contrast and Color Use

Presented by Jonathan Whiting, Director of Training, WebAIM

Some of the most confusing parts of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 are related to contrast and color use. There is a great deal of fine print that often can make this an overwhelming topic for web content creators, developers, and accessibility evaluators. This hands-on workshop will begin with a thorough review of WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 color and contrast requirements. We will then practice evaluating electronic documents and webpages using several free tools and resources including the Colour Contrast Analyser, WAVE, Colorzilla, and the Chrome Developer Tools.

Friday, June 7 - Main Conference Sessions

Decoding WCAG "Name" and "Label"

Presented by Jonathan Whiting, Director of Training, WebAIM

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 require that interactive elements have a "name" and "label." But the way these terms are used in WCAG does not always match how they are used by Web Developers. In this session, learn how WCAG defines "name" and "label," and what this means for common web components like form fields, images, and links. We will also discuss ARIA labels and the new WCAG 2.1 requirement for "Label in Name."

Presented by Leslie Melvin and Catherine Kovacs, Of Course Management and Design, LLC

Are you familiar with the free collection of workforce-related Open Educational Resources (OERs) available through the SkillsCommons digital library? From 2011 to 2018, more than 700 community colleges contributed learning resource (instructional) materials to the library as part of a US Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant. Key requirements? Learning resource materials must incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and be ADA-compliant. So, what’s the report card? This information-packed session provides helpful site navigation tips, tools for evaluating the accessibility of materials, and methods for revising and attributing the material for reuse.

What I've Learned in My First Six Months as an Accessibility Trainer and Auditor

Presented by Darcy Adams Maelzer, M.Ed., Accessibility Compliance Analyst, Center for Public Management, University of Oklahoma

An Accessibility Compliance Analyst new to her role shares lessons learned about where to start, obtaining buy-in from content creators, developing an auditing program, and common roadblocks. As accessibility becomes a prevalent topic in organizations, individual contributors are assigned the responsibility of 508 compliance but unsure where to start. Darcy’s presentation will offer guidance and encouragement for anyone responsible for accessibility within their organization.

Making Websites Usable, Not Just Accessible (2 Hour Session)

Presented by Karen Hawkins, User Experience Lead at PublicisSapient

Almost anyone today can make a website accessible. But that doesn't mean that people using assistive technologies can USE them! Technically, the site can pass the WCAG 2.0 guidelines, but the user is still unable to accomplish their goals, or they are forced to do so in a cumbersome, unintuitive way that ALWAYS takes way too much time. It's quite the understatement to say that an individual using a screen reader does not experience the ease with which a sighted person using a mouse pointer enjoys. Well, I aim to change that. As a user experience professional, I've done extensive research on the most useful ways to design common user interface elements that will benefit user experience regardless of the input mechanism. During this presentation, I will walk the audience through more accessible AND usable common web components and flows. Examples include product cards, E-Commerce shopping carts, search results pages, toggling between the filter and the product grid on a PLP, and more.

Speaking Truth to Power

Resistance is a frequent reaction to informal conversation and training on accessibility. This effect is common across organizational types (e.g., public, private) and management levels. This session looks at ways we can reduce this resistance through better communication practices. We will explore common mistakes, preparation techniques and delivery practices including but not limited to increasing audience engagement, developing powerful slides and visuals, checking your work for accessibility, and practicing before presenting. We will discuss the critical need to challenge assumptions, ask leading questions, and take advantage of teachable moments.